The present invention relates to rotary tillers and more particularly to a rear tined tiller having a guiding handle and a construction for mounting the guiding handle to permit vertical and horizontal adjustment of the guiding handle and having a single lever for controlling the wheel and tine drives.
Rear tined tillers generally include a frame supported by a pair of driving wheels and tilling tines rotatably mounted rearwardly of the driving wheels. An engine is mounted on the frame and is operable to drive both the driving wheels and the rotatable tines. A guiding handle is connected to the frame and extends rearwardly. During operation, the machine operator walks behind the tiller controlling its direction with the guiding handle. To facilitate control of the tiller, it is desirable that the guiding handle be adjustable vertically and horizontally with respect to the direction of motion of the tiller. Horizontal adjustment of the guiding handle permits the operator to walk on one side of the path of movement of the tiller such that he does not walk on the tilled soil and also permits operation of the tiller alongside buildings and close to standing crops.
Some rear tined tillers having an adjustable position guiding handle are known. However, though the position of the guiding handle of such machines is adjustable, the adjustment mechanism is not readily accessible to the machine operator and requires him to approach the tilling tines. Accordingly, if the machine is inadvertently left in operation, adjustment of the guiding handle position can be dangerous to the operator.
Rear tined tillers also commonly have two drive systems, a traction drive system and a tine drive system. The traction drive system determines the tiller operating speed, and the tines of rear tined tillers rotate at a higher speed to pulverize the soil. Accordingly, rotation of the tiller tines tends to pull the tiller out of the operator's grasp unless the tiller is braked by engagement of the traction drive mechanism. Consequently, for tillers having power driven wheels, it is desirable to have the traction drive mechanism engaged whenever the tiller is driven such that the driven wheels will restrain the tiller. It is also desirable that the tine drive mechanism be precluded from engagement whenever the tiller is driven in reverse in order to protect the operator.